Allen West: It’s time to cut foreign aid to Egypt and repudiate the Muslim Brotherhood

posted at 10:07 pm on June 25, 2012 by Allahpundit

Odds of this happening under President Obama: Zero. Odds of it happening under President Romney: Not much higher, I’d bet, although I’d be keen to hear Mitt’s reaction. If by “foreign aid” West means military aid to the junta, then cutting it might inadvertently do more to empower the Brotherhood than keeping the aid going would. Right now the military’s a de facto veto on the MB’s foreign policy; if we cancel our yearly aid check, i.e. peace bribe, who knows what new patron they’ll turn to or how amenable they might become to hearing the Brotherhood out on a new war with Israel?

As for repudiating the Islamists, Obama’s got two models to choose from: The cold shoulder approach that we use with Iran, with whom we’re nearly at war, and the diplomatic approach that we use with Turkey, a NATO ally. Guess which O prefers:

U.S. officials and analysts express guarded optimism that Washington can build a strong working relationship with the veteran Muslim Brotherhood politician, whose victory was confirmed Sunday. Morsi and his aides say that they, too, are upbeat about the future of Egypt’s relationship with the United States, though not without caveats…

“The U.S. will have leverage with the Brotherhood because the Brotherhood needs the U.S. and Europe for Egypt’s long-term economic recovery,” said Shadi Hamid, an Egypt expert at the Brookings Doha Center who has met with Morsi and several Brotherhood leaders in recent months. “They are going to need billions of dollars in loans and investments if they want to turn around their economy.”

Morsi spokesman and adviser Gehad Haddad said the incoming president, who earned a PhD in Southern California during the 1970s, has begun to build healthy relationships with U.S. officials.

But:

Haddad, [Morsi’s] spokesman, said Monday that “we will not be the party that breaks this treaty [the Camp David accords].” But he added that Egyptians would see “very swift” and significant changes in the country’s policy toward Israel. Haddad said these will include more vocal support for Palestinian statehood and a meaningful lifting of the blockade on goods passing through the Rafah crossing, which serves as the main gateway between Egypt and the Gaza Strip, a Palestinian territory ruled by the militant group Hamas.

Note the careful semantics. Haddad doesn’t say they’ll abide by the Camp David accords, he merely says that they won’t be the party that ends up breaking the treaty. He’s telling you how it’ll all go down: They’ll look for some sort of pretext in Israel’s words or actions, cite that as a de facto repudiation of the treaty, and then pull out. There are no aggressive Islamists, you see, merely Islamists who respond to the aggression of others. In fact, for more on that, go read Tom Joscelyn’s post at the Standard about a mysterious interview with Morsi that appeared in Iranian media today claiming that he said he’s prepared to review the Camp David accords. After it was published and picked up by the Jerusalem Post, Morsi turned around and claimed that it never happened; Iranian media had supposedly made the whole thing up. I put nothing past Iran, but go look at the front page of Fars’s website. That’s an awfully elaborate invented interview. What’s more likely, that Iran made it all up or that Morsi’s telling the Iranians one thing and the chumps in the State Department something entirely different?

White House press secretary Jay Carney told reporters on Air Force One that the Obama administration was committed to the Arab Spring revolution in Egypt that led to their democratic elections held this past week.

He said the administration looks forward to working with Morsi and hopes he will respect the rights of all Egyptian citizens, including women and religious minorities.

“We judge individuals and parties that are elected in a democratic process by their actions, not by their religious affiliations,” Carney said.

“And I would point you to the comments that President-elect Morsi made, the commitments he made to upholding civil rights, including of women and Coptic Christians — principles that we very much think are important.”

I’m going to give Carney the benefit of the doubt and assume that he’s not so much of a rube as to actually believe that last bit, but I honestly don’t know. Maybe in his mind it’s still February 2011 and the Middle East is alive with reformist possibilities. Can you feel it?

Anyway, I’m dying to see how close O is willing to get to Morsi before the election in the name of diplomacy when Republicans like West are landing body blows like these. If I were Morsi, I’d be pounding the table for a White House visit: It would cement the Brotherhood’s international legitimacy and it would make the military junta sweat to see their chief rivals for power suddenly making friends with their benefactors. Obama will never agree to it before November, though, so I wonder what the compromise will be. Joint press conference with Hillary in Cairo, maybe? Exit question: Does our nominee agree with Allen West?

If by “foreign aid” West means military aid to the junta, then cutting it might inadvertently do more to empower the Brotherhood than keeping the aid going would. Right now the military’s a de facto veto on the MB’s foreign policy; if we cancel our yearly aid check, i.e. peace bribe, who knows what new patron they’ll turn to or how amenable they might become to hearing the Brotherhood out on a new war with Israel?

Exactly.

Egypt receives about $1,600 million in military aid and $250 million in economic aid from the USA.

Who cares what this wooden-headed fool says? He cant even get his flesh and blood brother a job.
The more the nonentity opens his mouth, the more irrelevant he gets.

Uppereastside on June 25, 2012 at 10:22 PM

Are you speaking of Barry Obarmy, or someone else, Ms. Yeastybeasty?

I hear that the standard of living where Obarmy’s brother lives is nothing to be envied; if you’re UNEXPECTEDLY addressing this discrepancy in the Jugeared One’s forward facing face, then I wholly agree with you.

You left out the fact that Morsi said that his government would adhere to existing accords, twice, in his acceptance speech and that the Israeli Foreign Office welcomed the stance.

lexhamfox on June 25, 2012 at 10:15 PM

Morsi is lying, using the tactical Islamic concept of the hudna (a truce period where you rearm), and the Israelis are lying by pretending to believe him for their own tactical reasons.

The Islamic Brotherhood are out for the fundamental project of Islam: global dominion over all infidels.

Deluding oneself may be temporarily diplomatic, but is ultimately suicidal.

profitsbeard on June 25, 2012 at 10:20 PM

Morsi will be fully engaged on the domestic front. Egypt itself is on the brink of bankruptcy so it is hard to see how or why he would go to war with Israel or violate the treaty. Hudna is not applicable here under most interpretations. Aside from all that, you have SCAF remaining as the real center of power in Egypt especially with regards to security and foreign policy. Morsi is a placeholder rather than a charismatic leader and will likely not manage to remain in power after elections following the adoption of a new constitution.

Right now the military’s a de facto veto on the MB’s foreign policy; if we cancel our yearly aid check, i.e. peace bribe, who knows what new patron they’ll turn to or how amenable they might become to hearing the Brotherhood out on a new war with Israel?

Let them. Most of Egypt’s Generals are old enough to remember the last war with Israel. It took a peace accord for Egypt to get their own land back, because they weren’t getting it back by force. There’s stupid, and then there’s are you kidding me?

The only time muslim fighters have a chance, if their enemy’s government is stupid enough to impose completely moronic Rules of Engagements on their own troops that hinders their ability to inflict damage on the enemy they are ordered to defeat.

Israeli soldiers so far don’t seem to have to deal with that problem. They win ground and don’t give it back unless it’s in an effort to gain peace and security. I’m sure they are going to learn the truth about that soon too.

Rumor has it he’s a cannoneer
He’s a reckless buccaneer
I hear he carries several guns with many clips
He’s the annihilator of Islam creeps with information on their lying at his
fingertips

They say he’s nearly seven feet tall
And yet quite graceful… … all in all
I’m told there are lightning bolts when he walks
And thunder when he talks

He’s been many times seen
Wearing DCU and then full OD green
I hear he’s steely as you please
He could be Samurai Japanese

He may be shrewd
He may be rude
Ah well, it’s hard to tell
Who is this Allen West, do tell?

The Muslims and their supporters may think he comes from hell
But he may come from somewhere just around the dell
But he will be here and he will be there
You could see him bringing fire and brimstone on Islam most any time and most anywhere

He meddles with the Islamic Devolution
Stomping them mightily throughout each week
Spoiling every Imam’s useful idiot’s lying elocution
La, what cheek!

Is there any despot for whom you don’t have a ready excuse to shower billions of my dollars upon? It’s better that the world go up in smoke than pay a nickel in blackmail. But if we’re gonna pay the blackmail, all nations would be smart to democratically elect anti American psychopaths so that we can shower them with riches.

“And I would point you to the comments that President-elect Morsi made, the commitments he made to upholding civil rights, including of women and Coptic Christians — principles that we very much think are important.”

Muslims are allowed to lie to unbelievers in order to defeat them. The two forms are:

Taqiyya – Saying something that isn’t true.

Kitman – Lying by omission. An example would be when Muslim apologists quote only a fragment of verse 5:32 (that if anyone kills “it shall be as if he had killed all mankind”) while neglecting to mention that the rest of the verse (and the next) mandate murder in undefined cases of “corruption” and “mischief.”

I knew you could.

Keep deluding yourself and patting yousef on the back for being a good boy.

See where it gets you with the “separate the head from the body” crowd.

The only time muslim fighters have a chance, if their enemy’s government is stupid enough to impose completely moronic Rules of Engagements on their own troops that hinders their ability to inflict damage on the enemy they are ordered to defeat.

White House press secretary Jay Carney told reporters on Air Force One that the Obama administration was committed to the Arab Spring revolution in Egypt that led to their democratic elections held this past week.

……of course they are.Just like they are committed to the policy of “The Taliban is not our enemy”…..
……….just like they are committed to turning Libya over to the jihadist.

……………just like they are committed to surrender in Afghanistan….thus watching the Taliban/Al-qaeda take back over.

………..just like they are committed to lot’s of words and offerings to Iran while they get closer to a nuclear weapon….

Just like they are committed to screwing up so badly with Pakistan….that they consider the US basically irrelevant right now.We’re to busy surrendering to make any difference in that country right now.

……….just like they are committed to bailing on Iraq and watching all the blood and treasure to rid the world of a genocidal dictator….a threat to the region and world wide stability…..now start to have the strong arm of Iran reaching in there with little to no resistance from anyone to stop them.

We can all see what Obama is committed to: ….
………..his legacy will be that the jihadist have gained more power during his Presidency than at anytime in modern History.

Congratulations Mr. Smart Power.

He said the administration looks forward to working with Morsi and hopes he will respect the rights of all Egyptian citizens, including women and religious minorities.

…..it is so sad and pathetic to watch the leader of the US spout such ridiculous drivel.
What country that is run by radical islamist “respects the rights of it’s citizens and treats women as equals ?????????

Obama should put on a Clown suit when he releases statements this lame.

Mohammedan morals consist in prostrate like bowing 5 times a day in the general direction of some black stone in Mecca that is suppose to have fallen down from their moon-god, Allah, and attending mosque regularly at the appointed weekly time, and in breaking the ten commandments all the balance of the week. It comes natural to them to lie and cheat and kill and enslave in the first place, and then they go on and improve on that nature until they arrive at perfection. I never did dislike anyone as much as those Muslims and especially that blood thirsty muslim brotherhood, and, when Israel is pushed to war with them, I hope America and England and France will not find it good breeding nor good judgment to interfere.

1) The MB is going to ramp-up the genocidal Islamic totalitarianism no matter what we do, so we shouldn’t give them anything. They’re going to do it anyway. There is no “peace bribe” with the MB. There was with Mubarak, but not them. The military ultimately won’t stop the MB agenda. There will be some internal power struggling among the various Egyptian stakeholders, including the military, but overall the military isn’t going to stop this. They’ll just continue to soak us for as long as possible, yet give the MB the green light anyway, and laugh in our faces while they do it. Just like in Afghanistan, Pakistan, etc… We’ve been played for suckers.

2) There is no such thing as an “Islamist.” This is an invented term by Westerners that means nothing to Muslims. We invented it because we are desperate to believe the fantasy that there are two classes of Muslims – one class of some “extremist” Muslims who want to impose medieval, barbaric Islamic law on the Earth, and another class that doesn’t. Hence, the fantasy that the ones that do are the “Islamists.” In reality, there is only one Islam. All Muslims believe the same thing. And the core imperative of the ideology is world domination, totalitarianism and subjugation of non-Muslims under this sick barbaric system invented by a 7th century pedophilic warlord. There is no Muslim anywhere that doesn’t support that agenda. The only difference between individual Muslims is how energetic they are about it. The MB is one of the most energetic forces.

3) West is the only person in Washington who gets what the reality of this is.

4) Romney won’t do squat. He’s a wus. But he’s way better than Obama. Let’s work to get Romney in and then primary his a$$ for term 2.

I have yet to understand Europeans’ obsession with political correctness, above all practical considerations. It is idiotic and self-destructive (not to mention suicidal.)
hillbillyjim on June 25, 2012 at 11:02 PM

It eases their white guilt, makes them believe Muslims will go easier on them, and makes them think they’re smarter than Americans.

There is no such thing as an “Islamist.” This is an invented term by Westerners that means nothing to Muslims. We invented it because we are desperate to believe the fantasy that there are two classes of Muslims – one class of some “extremist” Muslims who want to impose medieval, barbaric Islamic law on the Earth, and another class that doesn’t. Hence, the fantasy that the ones that do are the “Islamists.” In reality, there is only one Islam. All Muslims believe the same thing. And the core imperative of the ideology is world domination, totalitarianism and subjugation of non-Muslims under this sick barbaric system invented by a 7th century pedophilic warlord. There is no Muslim anywhere that doesn’t support that agenda. The only difference between individual Muslims is how energetic they are about it. The MB is one of the most energetic forces.

I’m sure you remember all the doom and gloom emanating from the claims that massive amounts of ice was melting and would raise sea levels to catastrophic heights, don’t you?

Yeah, well, it appears – shock of shocks – that those making those claims didn’t use science at all. They apparently just kind of made it up if the American Geophysical Union’s latest research is to be believed:

………..It turns out that past studies, which were based on computer models without any direct data for comparison or guidance, overestimate the water temperatures and extent of melting beneath the Fimbul Ice Shelf.

…unbelievable……”past studies and computer models had “no direct data”

So the same people who base their eco rants of “the world is coming to an end” on models with “no direct data” are the same people who want us to believe the “Taliban are not our enemy”…..and that the “jihadist power wave” known as “the Arab Spring” is all about democracy and reform.

liberals are just crazy stupid…….it is insane that they are anywhere near positions of power.

Imagine if our grandfathers had said “Naziofascists”, “Nazionazis”, “Nazists”, “radical Nazis” and “Nazi extremists.” Let alone “Hijackers of the Great Political Party of Peace”. Their own mothers would have blistered their britches before George Patton could even get to them.

Every country is for sale or extorts other countries. It’s the way of the world and always has been.

If we stopped paying out all the bribe cash that we borrow to pay there would be a worldwide apocalyptic war, but at least whoever was left standing might appreciate a real peace paid for in blood rather than a fake peace bought with an IOU.

Muslims are allowed to lie to unbelievers in order to defeat them. The two forms are:
Taqiyya – Saying something that isn’t true.
Kitman – Lying by omission. An example would be when Muslim apologists quote only a fragment of verse 5:32 (that if anyone kills “it shall be as if he had killed all mankind”) while neglecting to mention that the rest of the verse (and the next) mandate murder in undefined cases of “corruption” and “mischief.”
I knew you could.

hillbillyjim on June 25, 2012 at 10:54 PM

What’s the word for the kind of lie that has you quote something from an anti-Muslim website and then say it’s from “THEIR WEBSITE”?

Well, we didn’t actually arm enemies, we just gave them things hoping that a few old Phantom jets would make them more amenable to U.S. foreign policy. The trick is to always realize when the worm has turned.

We shouldn’t be arming anyone in the middle east, including Israel. We don’t have a dog in this Muzzie vs. Jew conflict and there is no national interest in putting outself in it. All it’s brought us is trouble and dead Americans. Let them battle it out themselves and then cut a deal with whoever rises from the ashes. This ain’t our fight.

I like Allen West, and I do believe he really understand the Israeli positions, especially more of the right wing ones.
That is why I think his declaration is a strategic, not a literal one.
By that I mean that he knows that a removal of aid to Egypt will put Israel in danger (the aid is essentially a bribe not to attack Israel, among other things) and will endanger the stability of the entire Middle East, which is a huge American interest. 3$B a year in bribes is much cheaper than what it would cost to fund military intervention in the area and the diplomatic costs.

But West thinks (my guess) that a discussion on the topic should move to the mainstream US polity, and that Egypt’s new rulers should become aware of it to put any breaks they may have on any ideas of war with Israel ideas.

egyptian big mil will never let the treaty be revoked. morsi’s a vacant puppet. he serves at the pleasure of big mil. if he steps out of line he’s done. his babblings are all show. bread and circuses for their useful idiots.

Foreign aid is wealth redistribution. End all of it. Nothing like expecting an American to work, then seizing his money at the point of a gun, and giving his earnings to a foreign government or people.

Who cares what this wooden-headed fool says? He cant even get his flesh and blood brother a job.
The more the nonentity opens his mouth, the more irrelevant he gets.

Uppereastside on June 25, 2012 at 10:22 PM

Agreed. West is an embarrassment to himself. He voted to continue the Pigford payouts, he voted to raise the debt ceiling, he’s told citizens they should shut up, among other things. I hope hes a one-termer.

Actually we have a moral hazard here. Egypt is not self-supporting and is vulnerable to cuts in aid.

I would wait, there is no point in letting them whinge preemptively. Fanatics will always overreach and make enemies of friends. If nothing else, the natural increase in population increases their vulnerability.

Putting this strategy on the table is a good move, but we should wait until no one cares what happens and they are too poor, which they really are now to make mischief.